AJ Styles has had a distinct edge over Kevin Owens as the two villains have reigned over WWE SmackDown and Raw, respectively: superior booking.
The amount of electricity surrounding their upcoming title bouts speak to that. Styles is poised to face John Cena for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 29. Owens will defend the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns the same night.
SmackDown's championship bout is more appealing, a collision of titans belonging to the blue ...

WWE Royal Rumble 2017 is now less than two weeks away, and Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown LIVE have announced their intentions to win the Rumble match and headline WrestleMania 33.
OddsShark has released its latest odds on who will win the Royal Rumble, including Superstars who are announced for the match (The Undertaker, Goldberg), those who are likely to enter (Bray Wyatt, Sami Zayn) and even some unusual choices (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan).
We're here to give you the best value bets for those Superstars among OddsShark's latest listings and why. We'll also take a look at the ...

At its highest points, Monday's WWE Raw borrowed the frenetic energy of the Royal Rumble.
Brock Lesnar returned to the red brand, offering a preview of the destruction he intends to issue at the Jan. 29 pay-per-view. Faceoffs teased potential showdowns during the Rumble match. And enemies collided on a crowded stage.
But as strong as Raw opened and closed, it stumbled on familiar storytelling issues.
A number of feuds remain the narrative equivalent of tires sputtering in the mud. Big Cass vs. Rusev, Cedric Alexander vs. Noam Dar and Titus O'Neil vs. The New Day all dragged Raw down.
The growing bad blood ...

Brock Lesnar appeared on WWE programming for the first time in nearly two months Monday night, as he made his anticipated return on Raw.
Lesnar involved himself in the brawl that opened up the show. He dispatched Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn from the ring. WWE shared a replay of Lesnar clearing the squared circle:
Reigns briefly got the better of Lesnar after delivering a Superman Punch, but he wound up on the receiving end of an F-5 before Lesnar exited.
ESPN.com's Brian Campbell enjoyed the opening to Raw, particularly the brief faceoff between Lesnar and Braun Strowman:
Strowman declined to cross paths ...

Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of the January 16 episode of WWE Raw.
According to WWE.com, Brock Lesnar will return to Raw this week to hype his appearance in the upcoming Royal Rumble match.
However, the story everyone is likely to be talking about is the announcement of Kurt Angle's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
Speculation is going to run wild about whether this means we can expect one more match from the Olympic gold medalist, and everyone is going to have a different opinion on who he should face. With the Rumble just under two weeks away, ...

WWE announced Monday that Kurt Angle will join the 2017 Hall of Fame class.
"[Angle's] accomplishments both in the Olympics and WWE were extraordinary," Triple H said in a statement, per WWE.com's Bobby Melok. "He was one of the most gifted athletes to ever enter the ring, and we are honored to welcome him into the WWE Hall of Fame."
Angle tweeted about the news:
A number of decorated amateur wrestlers have gone on to wrestle in WWE, but few have tasted the success Angle has.
A gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Angle made his televised debut at the ...

Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's magnum opus saw him jump barefoot from the top of a steel cage, arms outstretched like wings.
Flash bulbs popped as Snuka leaped at Don Muraco. Light glittered along the WWE Hall of Famer's sweaty, sculpted body. A flight that inspired many after it rocked the Madison Square Garden crowd.
Of all the images Snuka left us with, that is the most powerful, the most talked about.
The Fijian wrestler died over the weekend. Family friend The Rock announced his passing on Twitter, relaying word from Snuka's daughter Tamina. WWE.com later confirmed the news.
There is plenty to celebrate about Snuka's career.
Superfly was a pioneer, an enthralling high-flyer ...

The road to WWE WrestleMania 33 will take another significant step forward Monday night with Brock Lesnar's return to Raw.
With the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 29, Lesnar's return is an obvious one in order to hype his appearance in the show's 30-man marquee match.
But how will it go down? Will he end up attacking someone, or will it be a simple appearance standing alongside Paul Heyman as he cuts one of his hallmarked promos? Here's a look at what we can expect.
A Confrontation with Goldberg
The way Goldberg's return to ...

A beast's rage will highlight Monday's edition of WWE Raw.
Brock Lesnar is set to return, and he'll be frothing at the mouth. This will be his first WWE appearance since his embarrassing loss to Goldberg at Survivor Series.
What will be The Beast Incarnate's response to falling so hard? How will WWE use Lesnar to build toward the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 29?
Fans in North Little Rock, Arkansas, will learn the answers to those questions up close.
The show will also touch on the rivalries involving the Cruiserweight Championship and the Raw women's title. Newly crowned U.S. champ Chris Jericho gloating, the growth ...

Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated, exciting and unforgettable events of the WWE calendar, and as such, it has spawned several unforgettable moments throughout its long and illustrious history.
From championship victories to unexpected returns, the show has been home to unlimited occurrences that have reinvigorated fanbases and left audiences invested in the Road to WrestleMania.
The 2017 spectacular is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most star-studded ever, with Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Undertaker already announced for the 30-man namesake match and John Cena vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the top of the ...

The WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament came to a conclusion Sunday night after Tyler Bate defeated Pete Dunne to become the first WWE UK champion.
Everything about this tournament was outstanding, from the presentation and having Nigel McGuinness on commentary to picking the 16 talents to fill up the brackets.
Michael Cole seemed like a new man calling this tournament alongside McGuinness, and with any luck, this won't be the last time we see them at the table together.
The first-round matches produced some great moments, but Night 2 upped the ante and put on what is sure to be remembered as one ...